Well hello, my lovelies. You've come across my new fanfic here. To understand the fanfic please read the following message regarding it:

This fanfic takes place in a universe where the investigation team never met or banded together. The events of the game never happened. This also takes place some years after they finish highschool so the characters are in their early twenties. Since the events of the game never happened, that implies that each of the characters never faced their 'true selves' and have continue to grow-up with their problems. I'm taking quite a few liberties with this story but I should be able to maintain characterization just fine. If not… well… whatever. Hopefully you will all enjoy it once more. Thank you once again to my lovely Beta reader. :)

Prologue

The streets were empty in the dark hour of the evening. The chill of the night went unnoticed to the woman as she maneuvered through the alleys of Okina. She sought safety in the tight corridors. The idea was to keep away from open areas and out of the surveillance of her pursuer.

Breathless…

She had been fleeing for nearly an hour. Her lungs burned, her heart raced, and her eyes darted back and forth as she frantically searched for safety. Her heels had long since been discarded, and she left her feet at the mercy of the hard pavement. The pads of her feet were sore and bruised, but she hadn't the time or liberty to concern herself with such things. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and she knew her short relief was now at an end. She pressed forward, and darted down the alley without concern of how loud her footfalls were. He, whoever the man was, had tracked her this entire time.

A quick turn to the right led her to smack into an unsuspecting bystander. Whoever the person was didn't topple over, but she did. She quickly glanced behind her for signs of the one following her. The innocent bystander cursed for a moment before his rough voice carried through the haze of fear and drifted into her ears as a voice of concern. Her legs burned from the exertion they've been through, and it felt as though lead weights have been tied to them.

That's the thing about running for you life. You don't stop. Not for anything. Once you do, your body recalls that it's not used to so much exertion and it attempts to shut down. An outstretched hand falls in front of her face and caused her eyes to drift up to the man's. Bleach blonde hair is the first thing she took note of. The second is the piercings. Third is the annoyance etched across the man's features. Normally, a person of such intimidating presence would be one she'd avoid, but right now she would take help where she could find it.

"H-help." Her voice is hoarse. She long since exhausted her vocals. One shaking hand reached forward and grasped the man's hand. She felt his hand wrap around her own, and for a moment there was a fleeting feeling of hope…safety…reassurance. Then something whistled through the air inches away from her head. The innocent bystander laid forth another set of curses before she felt him pull her to her feet and forced her to run with him hand in hand.

He led her through the maze of alleys. The plastic bag in his free hand shuffled with each hurried footfall, and after a few moments, he tossed it to the side. His breathing is soon labored as much as her own but his legs are stronger, full of energy, and ready for a night of running. She can't say the same for her own as her footfalls begin to shake and become uncertain with stumbling steps.

Her legs finally gave out despite the fear of being caught. She considered a moment to tell her would-be-savior to go on without her, as she didn't wish to put another person in harm's way for trying to help her. She can't get the words to leave her mouth because she's too tired and too filled with the desire to go on living. He simply hoisted her up in his arms, and she's cradled to his chest as he continued to run and search for aid or a safe haven.

Her hands curl into the leather jacket he's wearing, and she attempted to hide further in his chest. She only realized after a few moments that he's been cursing in between shouting for help. No one seemed to hear him or they simply didn't care about what was going on in Okina because no one responded back to his calls. Just like no one responded back to her own when she had cried for help.

She drifted in and out of consciousness for the next ten minutes. The sound of a door closing is what pulled her back into the world, and she found herself within a building. She's still being carried, and her eyes can't focus on anything in the dark. She heard her would-be-savior speak about the place being abandoned and that it would offer them a place to hide until morning.

Hide…

It was an idea. A concept that seemed so foreign to her after the night she had. To hide meant that they could get away… could fool their pursuer. She had tried her luck at hiding before but no matter where she tried, she just couldn't seem to get away. She didn't have the heart… no… the energy to tell him this. Maybe she was wrong, maybe she simply hadn't tried hard enough to hide, and maybe this would actually work. He led her to the second floor. She knew this because she can just make out the stairs that he's carrying her up. The musty smell teased her senses as dust floated in the air.

It isn't until he dubbed a closed room as a safe place that he finally put her down. She's too weak to do much more than lay on the floor. The jacket he offered her as a blanket did very little to make her feel warm or reassured.

"Name's Kanji." He said to her, and she can only nod her head to show that she heard him. She did not offer up a name because she's too tired and frightened to speak. "I'mma keep down below and make sure the bastard doesn't get up'ere if he managed to follow us." And with that he moved away.

She tried to voice her concern with splitting up, and she wanted nothing more than for her would-be-savior to stay where he was. She didn't speak-out these thoughts though. Something told her that if she does speak, her pursuer would somehow hear her voice from across the city and know their exact location. And so, she kept silent. Her tired body remained planted on the floor, but her mind that had been so weary just minutes ago was now wide awake to keep an ear or eye out for anything unusual.

For a moment, she made a silent wish that she still had her purse and her cellphone. That she hadn't dropped the purse in her panic to get away. She'd be able to call someone for help. She would be able to call her boyfriend to race from Inaba to come save her. She wouldn't be stuck with a strange man trying to reassure her that everything will be fine. She wished that she hadn't gotten into an argument with her boyfriend earlier in the day that caused her to go to Okina alone. She wished she could just rest and not be scared anymore.

Her eyes dart to the door as his footfalls drew closer. He was coming back. Had he changed his mind and decided to stick together? It would be safer for both of them. Perhaps he had barricaded the entrance. Perhaps he should barricade the two of them in this room. If she could gather the willpower to speak, perhaps she'll tell her would-be-savior this plan. The door opened, and she made an attempt to sit up to pass along the idea.

And suddenly everything is dark, silent, and she found eternal rest with her death.